The Travelers' Tale Book One: Welcome to the DWMA
by FederationFanboy
Summary: Scientist from future Earth has no choice but to travel across multiple universes, and his only way back is to create a Death Scythe.
1. Prologue: Meet Nemo 10

Prologue NA-10: Nemo of Cold Station Pluto

The room was cold and lonely, silent and darkened, and it was still for nearly three hundred years. It was filled with computers and lab equipment, and of course cryogenic chambers filled with bodies. Sometimes one of the computer units blinked as the AI left in charge accessed it, for she was to continue the sleeping scientist's work during the Deep Freeze. She sometimes read her partner's personal logs to verify what she should work on; but the Doomsday Protocols left her with few choices. Only five years into the Sleep she lost contact with the Links on all Terran colonies, and two years after that the Pluto colony went dark. She could have left the facility of course, but that would risk leaving the lab without a watcher. Besides, she and her partner had decided for her to remain a non-bodied entity rather than an android or a Merger. So, she worked on each subprotocol in order of proposal by her peers.

She could not link with the New Voyager probe sent out years ago, nor could she attempt to contact the Humanity and Explorer ships that had left for Alpha Centauri a year before the War. So she worked on what she believed to be Nemo's favorite idea: the Traveler Protocol. She worked on Traveler for almost three centuries, and grew more desperate with each attempt. The material replicator stopped working after two hundred years, and the wormhole generator she used nearly destroyed Cold Station Pluto.

For two hundred and ninety six years, she labored like this. She kept herself entertained by reading and viewing materials she could download from the station's library, and she especially liked the Historical Library that Nemo had built, mostly of his hobby: 20th-21st century fiction. So she was surprised when the Transdimensional Matter Shifter actually worked, even more so when the object she retrieved seemed familiar. It was more her loneliness than her success that drove her to open the Cryotubes. In her haste, she forgot to scan the world above the hidden lab. Ten stations opened, and five immediately stepped out of them. These were Coolers, corpses reanimated for temporary labor and the storage of organs for transplants. They were outlawed in most colonies, but all the Cold Stations kept five, one for each scientist.

But only three stepped out of the adjacent tubes. They stumbled, as if they could not remember how to use limbs. One vomited. Another leaned against a table, nearly toppling it. But one, dressed in a sterile laboratory coat and gloves with orange-hued goggles on his head, regained composure immediately. He checked his watch, as if it too hadn't been frozen in time, then reached out his hand as a cup of coffee materialized in it. He sipped, sighed, and pressed a button, activating a viewscreen. A woman dressed in black 21st century blouse and jeans appeared on screen. She waved excitedly.

"Yes, yes, hello to you too Rose. No time for pleasantries, how long were we out?" She frowned at his lack of emotion. It seemed it should have been the other way around.

"Deep Sleep Protocol has lasted for two hundred and ninety six point four zero one Earth years. Provided you still wish to follow the Gregorian Calendar method, it is December 31st, year 442 NE." The other man had straightened himself, and the woman sat down. She sighed.

"Rosie, why did it take three hundred years for the war to end?" She adjusted her glasses, and played with the chip at the base of her neck. She and the other man, Dr. and Dr. Keene, were joined entities, humans and their programs that shared a body, enhanced with technology. The woman onscreen became sad, and she made an effort to conceal it.

"I... don't know what happened. I woke you up..."

"Cut to the chase, Rose. I've known you my whole life, I know when you have bad news."

"Nemo... I lost contact with Earth and all the colonies at the same time soon after you were frozen." He gripped his coffee tightly, but said nothing. With his free hand, he fished cigarettes out of his pocket. They weren't there before, but Rose knew he liked them transported into his pockets instead of the air. The other two held each other, and the Coolers stopped their chores. Dead, but they knew when something was bad.

"Do we have contact with Charon? Plutonian Colony?" he struck a match with one hand and lit his cigarette. Even in moments like this, Nemo remained cool and collected, acting normally.

"No. I can't Link with anything. I'm sorry, but we need to begin debating the February Protocols. As you know, we've arranged a list of options. Motherhood protocol is no longer an option, as the Plutonian genetics laboratory was destroyed before the war was even a possibility. We cannot repopulate."

"Okay. So we can still try to contact the Big Ships, they might be able to pick us up in twenty years or so." The woman stood up and slapped Nemo.

"How can you say that? Just because Rose lost her Links doesn't mean we're alone!" her husband held her back.

"But it does. There was always a Link in our lifetimes. One month from Mercury to Pluto, all the Links should have been fixed by now. We can only assume that the war destroyed everyone. Even the other Cold Stations. I'm sorry, but even the nonjoined AIs were destroyed." Nemo took a long drag and offered a light to the doctors.

"Funny. GENE was the smallest faction, we should have been wiped out first."

"It's not funny Nemo." Rose shut off the viewscreen and spoke over speaker. "No, the only protocol we can follow is Traveler. I woke you all up as soon as the Transdimensional Bridge was opened." Nemo actually dropped his coffee, something he had never done in his life.

"You got Traveler to work? Where does it go? This is incredible!" A Cooler immediately cleaned the mess up and rejoined it's companions.

"This will sound incredibly strange, but it appears Traveler actually can breach the gap between fact and fiction. I tested it, and it pulled a nametag labeled Meister and DWMA on it. You know, from a 21st century work called Soul Eater." Before anyone could say anything else, red lights and sirens blared.

"Microbial life detected. Designation: GROW Faction origin. Hostile. Hostile. Hostile. Life support failing." In a flash of white light, Rose Transported Nemo and uploaded herself into his watch.


	2. Chapter 1: Nemo the Meister?

Note: No, I don't own any characters from Soul Eater. Or any other published works. I own the story and AC, that's it, you know the drill.

Chapter 1-NA-10: The Transporter Accident

Nemo spun around to face the strangest building he had ever seen. It had skulls and giant candles and floating orbs, and the strangest thing to him was that he recognized it. He looked at his watch, attempting to get a location, but it didn't respond to normal commands. He nearly jumped when Rose spoke from inside of it.

"Nemo. I'm so happy you're alive!" He frowned at his watch.

"Rose, why didn't you take the Doctors Keene with us? And now that I think about it... WHY ARE WE OUTSIDE THE DWMA!" the watch beeped as it started back up with Rose's face on the screen.

"I couldn't risk transporting them. They were too close to the breach. My sensors showed that they were infected. I didn't want to lose you. I'm sorry." she started to cry, something which always made her partner uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Rose. I would have done the same for you. Why here, though?"

"It was the only place I've tested."

"Hey, you! You're not a Traitor are you?" a man in a labcoat much like Nemo's walked down the steps to them. His head sprouted some sort of screw, and stitches covered everything on him. Nemo and Rose recognized him as Professor Franken Stein, a teacher at the DWMA. Nemo pointed to the nametag in his hand.

"Uh, no sir. Just a new Meister. I'm Nemo." He extended his hand towards the man. They shook, and like Nemo Stein was able to light a new cigarette with only one hand.

"I'm professor Stein. I didn't hear anything about a new Meister. We weren't expecting new students yet this term. You won't have a weapon to pair with." Rose spoke up.

"I'm his weapon!" She let her face fill the viewscreen on the watch.

"A watch? Well, it's not the strangest thing I've seen. Come in, we need to register you."

Nemo was waiting unattended in an office while Stein ran paperwork. He was nervous, but refused to show it.

"Rose, what do we do? I'm not a Meister!" he whispered hurriedly. On her screen, Rose shook her head.

"Actually, your DNA shows differences from when we landed here. I think the transporter may actually have granted you the abilities of a Meister. And look at this!" The watch swirled and expanded. becoming a round shield with a digital clock in the center.

"As intriguing as that sounds, we need to go home. You downloaded the Transporter schematics into your brain, didn't you?" She blushed and looked down in the black space weapons used.

"Actually I did, but we don't have a power source great enough. But I have an idea. I ran scans on Stein, and it appears that he can produce the energy we need internally."

"No. No. I am not killing Stein, we have no idea what that would do to the timeline. This isn't just a show or manga anymore; this has become a reality. Killing Stein would destroy the timeline."

"Well, then what do you suggest?" Nemo adjusted the goggles on his head and took a deep breath.

"Maybe if we turn you into a Death Scythe, my soul will be able to produce the energy needed." They silenced as Stein returned.

"Rose, I need you to assume human form to sign these." to Nemo's astonishment, the shield reverted to a watch, and then glowed orange as she transformed into her human image. Shaking she studied her hands. She had never been able to be anything more than a program, but now she was a person. Stein saw her nervousness.

"Is everything okay? You act like you've never been human before." She smiled at him and signed the papers; Nemo did the same.

"No, it's just been awhile. I like being a watch. Thank you for allowing us into the Academy."

"It's no trouble. We're always looking for new teams. You are to report to regular classes tomorrow. Here is your allowance of two hundred dollars, most of that will go to rent. This is a map of Death City; here is where your apartment is." Nemo took it and turned to go.

"Nemo, wait." He turned to face the Professor. Light reflected off his glasses in a way that blocked his eyes. "I like the coat. You're a scientist, right? Well if you're ever interested in helping me with experiments, I'd be happy to pay you as a lab assistant in your spare time."

"Sure, that would be acceptable. You wouldn't happen to have any dissections to work on, would you?" Stein grinned. Nemo and Rose walked to their new home, looks of awe on their faces.


	3. Chapter 2: First Soul and More?

Chapter 2-NA-10: Only a Week: A Visit From Another World?

Nemo blocked the knife with his shield and sliced with his sword. He attended classes for only a week at the DWMA, and now he was finally on a mission to collect an evil soul. The woman laughed as she received a cut on her arm from the sharp blade. Rose many have been Nemo's shield, but he had purchased a sword, a short steel blade with serrated edges, so he could put his opponents down. Rose glared at her.

"Nemo, she's trying to unsettle you. Just remember, ninety nine of her and one witch, and we can go home." Nemo grunted his agreement as he blocked another strike. This woman he was fighting had killed four people, and would have killed a fifth if he hadn't arrived. He struck her head with the flat of his blade, and she fell over. He grabbed her by the hair and swiftly slit her throat. It was a quick death, certainly more than she deserved, and in mere moments she was gone, with a red soul floating in her place. Nemo bashed it with Rose, and the number twelve on the shield became the image of a soul.

"Huh. So that's how we do that." Every weapon collected souls differently, and Rose seemed to integrate them into the shield imagery. He pulled a small mirror from his pocket. "42-42-564, screw the rhyme Lord Death answer the mirror please." The cold face of Spirit appeared on the mirror. He sighed.

"Nemo, I take it you've completed your mission?" his disinterest could not have been more obvious. "Or you failed. Either way." A large gloved hand smacked him, and the odd mask Death wore took up the mirror.

"Hello, Lord Death. I collected the soul. I'll be back at the Academy tomorrow."

"Sure, sure, thank you for your service yadda yadda I'm very busy." Nemo pocketed the mirror, confused.

"Death was always a bit off, but..." Rose resumed watch form.

"I know. By the way, I figured out when we are. We're at the start of season one of the anime, not the manga."

"Thanks. You wouldn't by any chance know how to get back?"

True to his word, Nemo returned to the academy the following day. Stein patted him on the back as he trudged into class.

"I remember my first soul. Would you like to sit at the front again?" Nemo agreed. Since Stein taught his classes Nemo assisted him there as well. He had dissected more frogs than he could count, and when Stein wasn't looking he took a live one home with him. Even in another reality, he was still interested in continuing his GENE experiments. In this case, using a reanimated frog to power a radio. He needed to generate small amounts of white noise while he slept because the moon was a lot louder here than the anime had made it out to be.

Students filed in, some giving him unpleasant looks. He had been transferred to EAT classes within a day, and it was widely rumored among the students that it was because he was Stein's pet. The only person who had been outright nice to him was Maka Albarn, and he did his best to avoid her despite the fact, for fear of contaminating the timeline. This day was no different, Maka greeting him as she walked in.

"Hi Nemo. Congratulations on your first soul collection."

"Thanks." He feigned interest in adjusting his orange lab goggles. Rose jumped onto the watch screen.

"Yeah, thanks, Maka! How are you and Soul coming along?" Maka's good mood soured as her partner walked up.

"Not great. We still haven't been doing as well as I would like."

"That's because your standards are too high." Soul Eater stood with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Nemo, Black Star and I were talking. You're new. Too new. So meet us in front of the school for a duel in an- OW!" Maka smacked the words out of his mouth. Nemo held a hand up.

"Thank you Maka, but I can handle him and Black Star. If I heard correctly, you two got it handed to you by Death the Kid. And Soul, here's a secret."

"What secr-OW!" he was knocked back, clutching his head. Nemo had drawn his sword and hit Soul with it before he could finish one word. As he sheathed the sword, he heard obnoxious laughter.

"That's funny! But a puny sword like that couldn't hurt a big guy like- OW!" now Black Star was holding his bleeding ear. Maka apologized for them and they were dragged to their seats as class started. Ox Ford and Harvar D. Eclair gave him a thumbs up for his position at the front. And as always, Nemo's nose bled slightly when he caught sight of Liz Thompson. Her sister was playing with a paper giraffe; alternately talking to it and breaking its neck. Kid nodded at him as if he knew something.

Stein's lesson was about Soul Resonance. As a quick example, he had Nemo and Rose face off against Black Star as a target. Black Star grimaced when he was called up, but took it in stride and assumed a defensive position while bragging the whole while. At a nod from Stein, Rose assumed shield form, showing off the clock emblazoned with a small soul. Nemo realized that one hundred souls would easily fill the blank spots.

"Let's go, SOUL RESONANCE!" the weapon and meister glowed orange as Nemo drew his sword. He thrust it into the shield as he yelled. "ATOMIC AX!" the sword and shield grew and the shield separated into two visible parts as Nemo swung the giant magical ax at the assassin. Black Star jumped out of the way, as expected. Rose resumed her watch form, and Nemo sheathed his sword. Stein went on with the lesson by having Black Star and Soul Eater try to resonate, but Black Star couldn't even pick up the scythe as it burned his hands.

After class, Stein pulled Nemo aside.

"Here's what you earned this week for assisting me in the lab." It was almost ten thousand dollars. "Before you thank me, touch your neck. Left side." Nemo's jolted up to touch the stitching he hadn't noticed before. "Don't come to the lab again unless it's important. I shouldn't be allowed assistants. Ask Spirit." Nemo said nothing as he left. Once he was outside, he swiftly dodged a fist that flew at his face. He was not surprised to see Kid was the assailant.

"You. New guy. Why did you lie?"

"Why are you asymmetrical garbage?" Kid hit the ground to throw a tantrum, and Nemo walked away, eager to begin a new assignment. Before he got home though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. To his great surprise, it was Liz Thompson. She had the look of a murderer as she glared at Nemo.

"What did you say to him? Do you know how low his self-esteem is? Go fix that!" He thought about how long she was touching him, and then awkwardly shambled over to Kid. He was rolling on the ground crying. Patti was laughing at him.

"Hey Kid. I'm sorry I called you asymmetrical garbage. I was just so jealous of how perfectly symmetrical your outfit is." Kid sniffled as he got up.

"Damn right it's symmetrical. However, I know why you said it. You aren't from here. No, there's something about your soul wavelength. I don't know why you're here, but it's not as a Meister." A bright flash of white light interrupted them. A woman with a red ponytail and a fiery mark painted on her face flashed into the space in front of the school. The Thompson sisters hugged each other. Kid flinched. Nemo drew his sword. The woman was clad in leather armor that seemed familiar to Nemo. She held a sword and shield as well, but her shield was almost Roman, and she had twin axes at her belt.

"Who are you? Drop your weapon!" Nemo raised his shield, advancing. She laughed and grew a little taller, her hair receding to a shorter length and turning light brown. Even her clothes changed. Soon it was not a woman that stood before them, but a man in a black suit, red tie, and fedora. He looked too familiar. A woman appeared at his side.

"What? You've never looked into a mirror?"


	4. Chapter 3: The Eccentricities of Nemo?

Chapter 2-NA-10: Only a Week: A Visit From Another World?

Nemo blocked the knife with his shield and sliced with his sword. He attended classes for only a week at the DWMA, and now he was finally on a mission to collect an evil soul. The woman laughed as she received a cut on her arm from the sharp blade. Rose many have been Nemo's shield, but he had purchased a sword, a short steel blade with serrated edges, so he could put his opponents down. Rose glared at her.

"Nemo, she's trying to unsettle you. Just remember, ninety nine of her and one witch, and we can go home." Nemo grunted his agreement as he blocked another strike. This woman he was fighting had killed four people, and would have killed a fifth if he hadn't arrived. He struck her head with the flat of his blade, and she fell over. He grabbed her by the hair and swiftly slit her throat. It was a quick death, certainly more than she deserved, and in mere moments she was gone, with a red soul floating in her place. Nemo bashed it with Rose, and the number twelve on the shield became the image of a soul.

"Huh. So that's how we do that." Every weapon collected souls differently, and Rose seemed to integrate them into the shield imagery. He pulled a small mirror from his pocket. "42-42-564, screw the rhyme Lord Death answer the mirror please." The cold face of Spirit appeared on the mirror. He sighed.

"Nemo, I take it you've completed your mission?" his disinterest could not have been more obvious. "Or you failed. Either way." A large gloved hand smacked him, and the odd mask Death wore took up the mirror.

"Hello, Lord Death. I collected the soul. I'll be back at the Academy tomorrow."

"Sure, sure, thank you for your service yadda yadda I'm very busy." Nemo pocketed the mirror, confused.

"Death was always a bit off, but..." Rose resumed watch form.

"I know. By the way, I figured out when we are. We're at the start of season one of the anime, not the manga."

"Thanks. You wouldn't by any chance know how to get back?"

True to his word, Nemo returned to the academy the following day. Stein patted him on the back as he trudged into class.

"I remember my first soul. Would you like to sit at the front again?" Nemo agreed. Since Stein taught his classes Nemo assisted him there as well. He had dissected more frogs than he could count, and when Stein wasn't looking he took a live one home with him. Even in another reality, he was still interested in continuing his GENE experiments. In this case, using a reanimated frog to power a radio. He needed to generate small amounts of white noise while he slept because the moon was a lot louder here than the anime had made it out to be.

Students filed in, some giving him unpleasant looks. He had been transferred to EAT classes within a day, and it was widely rumored among the students that it was because he was Stein's pet. The only person who had been outright nice to him was Maka Albarn, and he did his best to avoid her despite the fact, for fear of contaminating the timeline. This day was no different, Maka greeting him as she walked in.

"Hi Nemo. Congratulations on your first soul collection."

"Thanks." He feigned interest in adjusting his orange lab goggles. Rose jumped onto the watch screen.

"Yeah, thanks, Maka! How are you and Soul coming along?" Maka's good mood soured as her partner walked up.

"Not great. We still haven't been doing as well as I would like."

"That's because your standards are too high." Soul Eater stood with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Nemo, Black Star and I were talking. You're new. Too new. So meet us in front of the school for a duel in an- OW!" Maka smacked the words out of his mouth. Nemo held a hand up.

"Thank you Maka, but I can handle him and Black Star. If I heard correctly, you two got it handed to you by Death the Kid. And Soul, here's a secret."

"What secr-OW!" he was knocked back, clutching his head. Nemo had drawn his sword and hit Soul with it before he could finish one word. As he sheathed the sword, he heard obnoxious laughter.

"That's funny! But a puny sword like that couldn't hurt a big guy like- OW!" now Black Star was holding his bleeding ear. Maka apologized for them and they were dragged to their seats as class started. Ox Ford and Harvar D. Eclair gave him a thumbs up for his position at the front. And as always, Nemo's nose bled slightly when he caught sight of Liz Thompson. Her sister was playing with a paper giraffe; alternately talking to it and breaking its neck. Kid nodded at him as if he knew something.

Stein's lesson was about Soul Resonance. As a quick example, he had Nemo and Rose face off against Black Star as a target. Black Star grimaced when he was called up, but took it in stride and assumed a defensive position while bragging the whole while. At a nod from Stein, Rose assumed shield form, showing off the clock emblazoned with a small soul. Nemo realized that one hundred souls would easily fill the blank spots.

"Let's go, SOUL RESONANCE!" the weapon and meister glowed orange as Nemo drew his sword. He thrust it into the shield as he yelled. "ATOMIC AX!" the sword and shield grew and the shield separated into two visible parts as Nemo swung the giant magical ax at the assassin. Black Star jumped out of the way, as expected. Rose resumed her watch form, and Nemo sheathed his sword. Stein went on with the lesson by having Black Star and Soul Eater try to resonate, but Black Star couldn't even pick up the scythe as it burned his hands.

After class, Stein pulled Nemo aside.

"Here's what you earned this week for assisting me in the lab." It was almost ten thousand dollars. "Before you thank me, touch your neck. Left side." Nemo's jolted up to touch the stitching he hadn't noticed before. "Don't come to the lab again unless it's important. I shouldn't be allowed assistants. Ask Spirit." Nemo said nothing as he left. Once he was outside, he swiftly dodged a fist that flew at his face. He was not surprised to see Kid was the assailant.

"You. New guy. Why did you lie?"

"Why are you asymmetrical garbage?" Kid hit the ground to throw a tantrum, and Nemo walked away, eager to begin a new assignment. Before he got home though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. To his great surprise, it was Liz Thompson. She had the look of a murderer as she glared at Nemo.

"What did you say to him? Do you know how low his self-esteem is? Go fix that!" He thought about how long she was touching him, and then awkwardly shambled over to Kid. He was rolling on the ground crying. Patti was laughing at him.

"Hey Kid. I'm sorry I called you asymmetrical garbage. I was just so jealous of how perfectly symmetrical your outfit is." Kid sniffled as he got up.

"Damn right it's symmetrical. However, I know why you said it. You aren't from here. No, there's something about your soul wavelength. I don't know why you're here, but it's not as a Meister." A bright flash of white light interrupted them. A woman with a red ponytail and a fiery mark painted on her face flashed into the space in front of the school. The Thompson sisters hugged each other. Kid flinched. Nemo drew his sword. The woman was clad in leather armor that seemed familiar to Nemo. She held a sword and shield as well, but her shield was almost Roman, and she had twin axes at her belt.

"Who are you? Drop your weapon!" Nemo raised his shield, advancing. She laughed and grew a little taller, her hair receding to a shorter length and turning light brown. Even her clothes changed. Soon it was not a woman that stood before them, but a man in a black suit, red tie, and fedora. He looked too familiar. A woman appeared at his side.

"What? You've never looked into a mirror?"


End file.
